C8 New Rules!!

The evening had settled in. Ye Rong remembered that the library would be closed by now, so he would have to wait until tomorrow to visit it.

Yet, Ye Rong wasn't in any rush. At this place known as school, he had a bed, clothes, and bedding at his disposal. Not only could he rest with ease, but he could also change into clean clothes.

Just a few days prior, upon his arrival, he had been roughed up by Han Xiaotian's henchmen, leaving his clothes stained with blood and dirt. Though his wounds had since healed, the stains remained.

In the Cultivation World, Ye Rong had faced death numerous times, and had encountered far dirtier situations. Like the time he forged the Iceshadow flying sword, when he had climbed ice mountains and descended into fiery pits to gather ice and fire crystals to save money. That memory was still clear in his mind. The blood stains were trivial in comparison, but having clean clothes was still preferable for maintaining a presentable appearance.

Ye Rong stripped off his clothes and began washing them under the tap. As he did so, memories of the past surfaced, casting a shadow over his mood. The Iceshadow flying sword might have been small, but it was his own creation, as reliable as a close friend. Now that it was gone, he felt an emptiness inside.

"Moonpie, doing some laundry?" someone slapped his shoulder.

Moonpie? Were they addressing him?

Ye Rong turned around, his brow furrowing slightly. He wasn't fond of the nickname.

The person was a tall young man, towering over 1.8 meters. Ye Rong recalled from his memories that his name was Sun Yunlong, and they shared a room.

"I haven't seen you in two days. I've been worried sick, and there's a mountain of clothes waiting to be washed. Come on, help me out," Sun Yunlong said.

He grabbed a pile of clothes, mostly undergarments and socks, which he had neatly packed into a bag, and handed them to Ye Rong.

"I got mud on my clothes a couple of days ago, but I've already taken them off and washed them myself. No need to bother with those. Just wash these for me, will you?"

Ye Rong gave him a long look, ensuring that Sun Yunlong wasn't kidding.

Sun Yunlong extended the bag of underwear and socks toward Ye Rong once more.

Ye Rong nodded, clearly indicating that he wasn't joking.

There was definitely something wrong.

And when something's wrong, you need to find the root cause.

"Why?"

"Why should I wash your clothes for you?"

Sun Yunlong saw Ye Rong's nod and thought he had agreed, a smile beginning to form on his face. But as soon as he heard Ye Rong's question, his smile vanished.

"Ye Rong, I get that you might act this way with others outside, but even here in our own dorm? It's just laundry. For the past couple of days, I've been the one fetching water for you."

Ye Rong narrowed his eyes in thought. "If I'm not mistaken, aside from the first two days of the semester, I've been the one cleaning and fetching water."

"Even if we were to take turns, I shouldn't have to fetch water or clean for at least half the semester. And besides, I don't even need hot water or to clean in the first place."

Ye Rong wasn't concerned about inspections or losing points. He rarely made a mess where he lived, and when it came to water, cold was just fine for him. After practicing with the ancient tomes, not only would he not feel cold, but it would also strengthen his body.

"This is the dorm's policy. If you don't like it, pack up and leave! You've already crossed Han Xiaotian, so consider yourself lucky to still have a place in this dorm. See if any other dorms would take you in!"

Sun Yunlong's demeanor had completely shifted.

Ye Rong chuckled. He had identified the problem. This guy was probably too used to bossing the old Ye Rong around, thinking it was his right. Hearing that Ye Rong had stood up to Han Xiaotian, he must have been worried about losing his free labor. That's why he came looking for a confrontation as soon as Ye Rong returned.

Having pinpointed the issue, it was time to address it. The previous Ye Rong might have chosen to endure in silence, a choice Ye Rong didn't understand nor judge. But the Ye Rong of today would no longer be that free laborer, that moonpie! With a cold laugh, Ye Rong reflected on how he wasn't one to stir up trouble. Despite any lingering annoyance, and even with thoughts of the Iceshadow flying sword on his mind, he was still trying to negotiate with Yunlong.

"What if I say no?"

Sun Yunlong involuntarily took a step back. His intuition screamed that Ye Rong before him was different, not the compliant, free labor he used to push around. Yet as this realization dawned, a wave of resentment and fury rose within him. How could this usually docile guy have the gall to refuse, especially now? Ye Rong had shed his shirt, revealing a frame so lean it stood in stark contrast to Sun Yunlong's towering presence.

"Saying no is futile! That's the rule in this dormitory!" Sun Yunlong lunged to grab Ye Rong's arm, so slender that one hand could encircle it twice. He was determined to make this kid feel the disparity in their strength!

But in an instant, he lurched forward, grasping at thin air!

In such a confined space, Ye Rong barely seemed to move, and though Sun Yunlong was sure he had brushed his arm, his force inexplicably veered off course.

Without overthinking, Sun Yunlong launched another attack. The balcony was cramped; surely Ye Rong couldn't keep evading?

But he could.

Despite the tight quarters, Sun Yunlong's attempts to seize him were futile. He'd think he made contact, only to realize his strength had been misdirected, merely grazing Ye Rong and failing to secure a hold.

"If I'm not mistaken, the dormitory rules don't mention anything like this. But since you're so fond of rules... cutie."

"Allow me to introduce the new rules of this dormitory!"

Cutie?

The nickname ignited Sun Yunlong's rage. He charged at Ye Rong, convinced that in such a narrow space, evasion was impossible!

Ye Rong sidestepped, his hand seemingly effortlessly tapping Sun Yunlong, who then skewed to one side. From a distance, it appeared as if they were courteously sidestepping each other, brushing shoulders, and then...

"Bang!"

Sun Yunlong's body hit the balcony wall.

His command of Soul Power was even more adept than Ye Rong had anticipated!

In a swift series of maneuvers, he had tapped into his formidable Soul Power to precisely track the trajectory of his opponent's bodily functions. What if, instead of targeting acupoints, he applied a subtle force directly to the flowing blood and energy, using resonance to alter the direction of his opponent's power? His experiment proved to be flawless!

This meant that to Ye Rong, Sun Yunlong's entire body was now a map of exploitable acupoints!

"Kneel down!" Ye Rong delivered a sharp kick to Sun Yunlong's rear and then backed out onto the balcony. Humiliated, Sun Yunlong gathered his strength and lunged at him once more. Seizing the moment, Ye Rong swiftly landed two more kicks.

Sun Yunlong's legs went numb, leaving him powerless. He collapsed to the ground with a thud, actually kneeling before Ye Rong!

"Call me grandpa!" Ye Rong demanded with a cold snort. As rage bubbled up in Sun Yunlong, he opened his mouth to hurl insults, but Ye Rong's timely kicks altered the very way his anger was voiced, transforming it into the words "Grandpa!"

"Good, that's more like it, cutie. Remember to be well-behaved from now on, got it?"

At that moment, a group of five or six people walked in through the door. They were stunned by the scene before them, blinking in disbelief and rubbing their eyes vigorously.

Ye Rong turned to face them, a sly smile playing on his lips. He had deliberately waited for their return to witness this spectacle.

Given his current frail state, making an example of one would suffice. Why expend the energy to take them down one by one?

"From today forward, you're in charge of washing any clothes given to you in this dormitory, and you're responsible for keeping it clean. Otherwise, pack your bags and leave. These are the new rules of the dormitory."

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